Meeting the Challenge
- By Fred Elliott
- Jul 01, 2003
A typical working day in America involves four to five construction deaths and 900 serious injuries. At least 20 percent of those incidents are falls.
FALLS have long been the bane of construction work in this country. Last fall, the third edition of "The Construction Chart Book" from the Center to Protect Workers' Rights pinpointed falls as the leading cause of death for two construction occupations in 1999. Falls caused 30 of the 40 deaths among ironworkers that year and 48 of 56 deaths among roofers. The fatality rates per 100,000 equivalent full-time workers for those two occupations were 16 times and six times higher, respectively, than the rate for all construction, CPWR reported.
The center is the research and development branch of the AFL-CIO's Building and Construction Trades Department, which cautions its members that a typical working day in America involves four to five on-the-job construction deaths and 900 serious injuries. Because falls are the leading cause of deaths and rank second among causes of non-fatal construction injuries, we know that at least 20 percent of these daily incidents result from falls.
A Variety of Causes
Construction falls have many causes (see the accompanying chart, "Causes of Lost-time Construction Injuries from Falls, 1999"), and several factors make them difficult to manage.
|
Rate of Non-fatal Falls By Industry, 1999 |
|
The chart shows the number of work-related falls per 100,000 full-time workers. |
|
Construction |
68.5 |
|
Transportation |
53.2 |
|
Agriculture |
41.1 |
|
Mining |
37.6 |
|
Retail trade |
35.6 |
|
Wholesale trade |
32.8 |
|
Service |
27.9 |
|
Manufacturing |
25.7 |
|
Finance |
14.0 |
|
All industries |
32.9 |
|
SOURCE: The Construction Chart Book, Third Edition, The Center to Protect Workers' Rights. |
Sites are temporary, constantly changing, and each is unique. Multiple contractors and craft groups share a site, posing a communications and oversight challenge that may rise if several languages are spoken. Poor lighting, inclement weather, and noise are liable to increase safety risks.
Failing to clean up debris and scraps routinely left lying around a job site allows slip-and-fall hazards to proliferate. Hurrying to complete a section may cause workers to leave floor holes uncovered or unguarded, to neglect trench boxes, or to work at elevation without donning fall harnesses. Haste is a major danger in all types of construction.
Finally, recent surveys have confirmed lamentably low usage of personal protective equipment by construction employees.
"Almost all sites have unprotected sides and edges, wall openings, or floor holes at some point during construction," OSHA notes in its construction eTool (available at www.osha.gov). "If these sides and openings are not protected at your site, injuries from falls or falling objects may result, ranging from sprains and concussions to death."
This article originally appeared in the July 2003 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.